


Stinging Salve.

by RosieMaeWrites



Series: The Curse of the 7th Wheel [5]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Death, Healing pods, Intense pain, It fails, Lance not me, Langst, M/M, Multi, Self Loathing, attempted diplomacy., they are seriously trying their best, they aren't assholes yall, this is late and horrible y'all beat me with sticks, this took me 84 year and I'm so sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-11-01 12:46:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10922094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosieMaeWrites/pseuds/RosieMaeWrites
Summary: This is his last straw...just leave him alone now, please.





	Stinging Salve.

**Author's Note:**

> i have a crippling mental illness please don't yell at me. 
> 
> My tumblr is milkisoffwhite, if you want more see me over there, my inbox has never been alive and is ultra dead.

When Allura said his antidote wasn’t even passed the research phase, Lance wasn’t all that surprised. It had been three months since the whole team found out about his little ‘inconvenience’ he called it while trying to convince everyone with the biggest smile that he could manage...which wasn’t more than a smirk.

Activity in the Galra had picked up in the last two weeks and it didn’t matter, he had been living with it for about a year at this point. The pain had blurred to become the constant ache in his bones that left him pursing his lips and trying to keep most of it hidden. Even if everyone knew, that didn’t have to know how deep it went. That was his burden to bear and no one else.

The team was lounging in the common room when the alarm bells rang, with everyone turning and heading to the hangars, dropping whatever they were doing in the meantime. For Keith and Shiro is was cuddling with Lance on the other side, his eyebrows furrowed over an Altean datapad, as he tried to translate Altean to English to Spanish. It was difficult, like how about half an hour ago he tried to join the cuddle puddle next to him until Keith complained he was too bony and he pulled back. It wasn’t meant to be an insult, but he was trying. He was trying so hard to gain weight, but that was hard too.

Everything in life was getting harder to do, eat, sleep, fight, even stuff he was supposed to enjoying like having sex became a chore that he didn’t want anymore. Lance had just told them about two weeks ago to just do it without him. That got him a concerned frown from both of them and hugs and a kiss or two, but they accepted it. Shiro still kept him in loop sometimes, one on one things that helped him feel good for a little bit before that hole opened in his chest ago when Shiro would kiss him goodbye and leave. Back to Keith to love him. It made Lance feel like the other woman, some side piece that they both held hands with in public.

Keith showed up sometimes too, those were less ‘feel good’ and more ‘fuck good’, but it made the Red Paladin happy. He would always get kisses and a hug or two afterwards. That was just about it in terms of affection he got from Keith, but Shiro helped. The two of them were complimentary, Keith was a quick, bright flash, a harsh burn that seared his skin and Shiro was a salve, calm and soothing and lasting a lot longer. That didn’t mean the salve wasn’t too cold or the burn stopped hurting after the salve wore off.

Lance’s thoughts were preoccupied as he dropped into his lion, Blue greeting with something like a purr and he gave her a small pat before switching her systems on and taking off, trailing a bit behind because his heel got caught in his boot. Whatever, didn’t matter. He took a deep breath and gunned to catch up with them, towards the fleet that looked huge. This was Lotor’s ship, somehow so close, and yet it seemed far away as his chest seized with something like a panic attack and his ribs rattled with protest and pain at the situation he was confronted with.

He remembered the glint of white hair and gold eyes, the smooth laugh and even smoother tone as he dug into Lance’s souls and pulled everything. The Blue Paladin shook his head and turned on his comm link so he could hear everyone chattering about battle plans and strategies as he did his best to listen, dodge and shoot at the same time.

Enemies were starting to surround them and Shiro was giving orders like a natural. Nothing spectacular or new happened until suddenly their private comm-link was intercepted. The alert appeared large and red in the head of his Lotor was on their comm-link with a lilting whisper. “Paladin...is that you, my sweet boy?” A chill raced up in spine and settled in his throat as a lump. Lance choked on a gasped whimper as he felt something like panic seize his chest and make his fingers tremble.

Shiro shouted something about getting the Galran Prince off of the comm-link as the cockpit lit up with angry red warnings. Blue didn’t like his distress and was trying to tell him to calm down, and sometimes she wasn’t as smooth or as subtle as she thought she was.

“I’m not here to argue, or even fight. If your princess had actually listened to the message she was sent, this is a peace conference. How long have I been using my father’s failed tactics? It’s been a year since I retrieved your paladin and now I have come to try and broker something resembling peace.” Lotor sounded snooty, fed up almost with the constant resistance against his simplest requests. His words seemed genuine as the Galra ships stopped firing and the bay doors to the main control center opened.

Lance wasn’t involved much in the debate and just went where they told him to go. Which apparently was back to the castle to drop off their lions and then into a pod with the Paladins, Coran and Allura while Slav and some of the Blade members stayed behind to watch the ship. He didn’t really care much what they did at this point, too tired to argue or try to think of something better, so he just watched Keith hold Shiro’s hand anxiously and stayed out of it.

They were treated nicely, while on board the enemy ship. None of the guards hustled them around as they walked in an odd little procession to the throne room. Hunk stayed close to him for the most part, looking over his own shoulder for both of them because he knew Lance got panicky sometimes.

He remembered the room well and it hadn’t changed in the year he had been away. Lotor stood out of respect and they all took off their helmets. Out of all of them, it was the Princess who was having a hard time being diplomatic, but a harsh nudge from Coran and both of them were bowing with their own symbols of good will.

Everything seemed to be going just fine until Lotor’s glowing gold eyes landed on him and his face became very serious. “Blue Paladin, step forward please.” His smooth voice seemed to boom in the grandiose throne room.

The group turned to look at the boy, now wide eyed and holding himself around the middle. He knew that it was going to be him, he was always singled out by those who he feared. The same thing happened with Iverson at the Garrison, who called him out and wore him down in every chance he got. Lance was used to it by now, rubbing his face and walking forward towards the stairs that lead up to the throne, where Lotor met him.

“It’s been a long time, my boy...haven’t they found a cure yet?” The prince asked, lifting a hand to cup Lance’s chin and tilt his face to look at those gaunt cheekbones and dull hair. “Lance, love, what did they do to you?”

“ _You did this_!” Keith shouted from the stunned group of paladins, appearing as if he was about to march up to Lotor and punch him in the teeth. Shiro put a stop to that by grabbing the bayard cuff on his back and pulling him back.

“Don't you dare.” Shiro growled, though his glare was focused on Lotor. Being on the receiving end of a look like that was not for the faint of heart. The Prince didn't even spare him a glance.

“I can take that pain away...do you want that? Do you want to feel normal again?” Lotor asked in a soft voice, for only him to here and his grin was predatory as Lance nodded frantically, practically melting into the Galran’s arms that were outstretched to him.

His head was spinning and he felt weak, powerless as he heard his team call out in confusion as he fell forward. Hunk and Keith were the most vocal as Allura felt her skin crawling behind the group. The Blue Paladin couldn't hear them though, enveloped by the man that could take all of his pain away, who could make him feel human again. He didn't realize he was sobbing, feeling his ribs and pelvis catch on fire and his legs gave out so he was prone against Lotor.

“Pledge loyalty and you can have it. That and so much more...a rank, people who look up to you and treat you well. People who fear and respect you...just say you are loyal and the pain will go away.” The Prince whispered, holding the young man up from just crumbling to the ground.

He didn't even have to think about it. He’d been suffering for a year with this. With his bones screaming and his head pounding as his stomach rolled. Lance was so tired of hurting, rubbed raw and prodded like a nerve. He was too weak to hold up.

“I'm loyal! I'm loyal!” The Blue Paladin sobbed out loudly for all to hear. The cry echoed in the cavernous chamber and stunned everyone into silence. Most would cry about how he was a horrible person, a traitor to everyone fighting the Galra… But he was tired, and the moment he said those words a wave of calm, peaceful stillness washed through him like a wave through a small hallway. He groaned in relief, tears cutting tracks on his now slack face.

“That’s very good, Paladin… Too bad we don’t have much use for you.” The Prince’s tone was pitying, his eyebrows pinched together in over exaggerated emotion. Lance’s confusion was evident in his face, looking like he was a young child who didn’t understand a joke. The simile being strangely accurate as he felt a burning blossom out from his stomach.

He feared looking down, feeling warm, wet, sticky blood start down the front of his armor and a drop had already landed on the floor between them.

Lance was sinking then, no longer supported by the large furry mass of Galra. He was falling forward and a pair of thick arms caught him.

* * *

The initial panic took a few minutes to fade, with Lance screaming and kicking out. It surprised the three people there; Shiro, Hunk and Coran. Everyone else was either training or formulating. They had all stuck around because of a deep sense of guilt. It was there fault Lance got picked up? They weren’t watching and checking in enough?

Now that they had Lance subdued, it was easier to check him over again. Luckily the druids hadn’t done anything, Allura and the Blade checked out the pod reads and made sure...but he still really didn’t look good. He was too skinny and covered in bruises that were too superficial for the healing pod to bother with. The teen had a few new scars too, but they felt it best not to bring it up.

Shiro didn’t want to imagine his friend’s time in captivity, watching as Hunk held him mostly still as Coran ran another test. Lance just looked tired and anxious, his eyes pinballing between them as he was speaking spanish, so none of them understood what he was trying to say to them.

“Lance, buddy, you need to speak english right now so we can understand what’s wrong.” The older boy squatted next to where Lance was being held on the ground, looking much better from a few minutes ago, but it wasn’t their usual bubbly Lance… His stomach twisted at they might never get him back.

“Lo-Lotor! H-He k-killed me!” He stammered out, tears brewing in his eyes for the nth time that day and he just wanted to lay down.

“No he didn’t! Lance, we rescued you a week ago, you’ve been in a healing pod, but you’re safe now...promise.” Hunk supplied, giving him a consoling bear hug. It really hurt to see him like this, panicky and he couldn’t do anything about it.

“H-He cursed me!” His fanaticism was concerning and Shiro turned to look at Coran for an explanation.

The Altean man frowned and looked over at the open pod. “He might’ve had a dream...they can be very intense in the suspended state he was in. You had something similar to this when you got out of the pods the first time.”

Finally, Lance seemed to be panicked out, now passed out in Hunk’s and he looked so peaceful, if not painfully thin and bruised. It made his chest stir as they all grew quiet, looking at him.

Maybe things would change now… But Lance was cursed… whether they knew it or not, Lance was always cursed to feel like the 7th wheel. And that’s a terrible wheel to be.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos. Sorry it's over, kiddos.


End file.
